Dzimm Posted March 25, 2020 Author Share Posted March 25, 2020 Went to Napa in town, no luck for the fittings but I got some exhaust clamps. Got some paint thrown on them so they don't rust and they match the axle. The wife went to AutoZone after work for me to pick up the fittings and another set of jackstands. I've needed more jackstands a couple times and I finally broke down so I can have a set to work on the axle, and a set to start taking the D35 out of the truck. I'm getting closer to install but there is still a ton to do to the truck itself before the axle goes in, like rebuilding the leaf springs and replacing the brake distribution block. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dzimm Posted March 26, 2020 Author Share Posted March 26, 2020 Exhaust clamp brake line brackets on. Brake lines are on the axle. Started tearing the old axle out of the truck. Got the sway bar and shocks out. Had to cut the passenger side lower shock stud off because the threads were gone.. currently looking for a new bracket. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rylee144 Posted March 26, 2020 Share Posted March 26, 2020 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dzimm Posted March 27, 2020 Author Share Posted March 27, 2020 I decided to order a shock stud kit and try to repair my spring plate. It should be here next week. As for the truck, I got the driveshaft out, brake line disconnected, and parking brake cables removed. All the leaf spring and shackle bolts are broke loose and on hand tight. Tomorrow the axle will be coming out! I'll be rebuilding the leaf springs this weekend. Not sure how long it'll be until the new axle goes in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete M Posted March 27, 2020 Share Posted March 27, 2020 12 hours ago, Dzimm said: I decided to order a shock stud kit and try to repair my spring plate. It should be here next week. neat! looking forward to see how that goes Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dzimm Posted March 27, 2020 Author Share Posted March 27, 2020 2 minutes ago, Pete M said: neat! looking forward to see how that goes I'm hoping I can make it work. The kit is designed to bolt on both sides of a plate so I'm worried it will cause the shock to stick out too far but I'll have to see when it gets here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dzimm Posted March 27, 2020 Author Share Posted March 27, 2020 The axle is out! Only had 2 of the spring bolts give me issue. Had to cut 2 of them but have replacements on the way. Luckily I'll be able to use the parking brake cables on the blue truck, I will need to get new ones for the disk brakes. Also got the leaf springs separated and ready to clean up. Middle 2 XJ leafs with middle 2 MJ leaves. The XJ leaves are definitely flatter. Hoping to get an inch or two of drop from swapping these in the pack but we'll see. MJ shackle next to an XJ shackle. The XJ shackle is 1-1/4" shorter. New axle with the old one. It's amazing how much smaller the D35 looks compared to the C8.25. Need to clean the shop up a bit. Hopefully by the end of the weekend I'll have the leaves cleaned and painted so I can assemble them next week. If all goes well, I may be installing the new axle next weekend. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dzimm Posted March 29, 2020 Author Share Posted March 29, 2020 The old bushings came out way easier than I thought. Many people say it's not possible to remove the bushings without a press but I got all 4 out in around an hour with a hammer, chisel punch, drill, and a reciprocating saw. The big bushing was easier and only took about 10 mins, the small side took closer to a half hour each. Run the recip blade in the gap in the leaf spring to cup the outer collar, drill holes in the rubber, punch the center collar out, punch the rubber out, then punch the outer collar inward and out. I then used these wire wheels to clean up inside the bushing eyes. Just a veriety pack with like 10 sizes from Menards. Used a regular cup wire brush to clean the rest of the leaves. Two coats of primer on both sides. Will get paint tomorrow! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dzimm Posted March 30, 2020 Author Share Posted March 30, 2020 Was able to get paint done today. Too busy to do anything else. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dzimm Posted March 31, 2020 Author Share Posted March 31, 2020 Got the bushings in the leaf springs today. The big bushings went in easy, just a 2x4 and hammer, couple firm hits and they went in. The small bushings however fought the whole way. Had to do a combination of c-clamp to start them, then BFH with a sacrifitial bolt until it was I'm far enough I could get this contraption on it to pull it in the rest of the way. That a pickle fork on one side, topper clamps on the other, and a nut/bolt through the center to pull it together. Took a lot of work but saved me the money of paying someone else or buying a press. I will someday buy a press though so really was it worth all the work? Had to do a new coat of paint to fix the scratches and scuffs from installing the bushings. Put the wear pads in the leaves as well. I tried to put a pack together but realized the center hole of the XJ leaves is 5/16" while the MJ is 3/8".. I of course have 3/8" center pins. I tried to drill the holes larger in the XJ springs and only succeeded in destroying drill bits. Rather than ordering a new set of center pins,I'm going to go buy some 5/16" bolts and make myself a set. Tonight I ordered a set of XJ style spring clamps. I was thinking of ways to reuse the MJ ones but I can't think of a good way of doing it without buying new rivets and going through the headache of installing them. I also didn't want the headache of finding and paying someone else to do it so I just payed the little extra to go the easy route. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dzimm Posted April 1, 2020 Author Share Posted April 1, 2020 Yesterday I went into town and got some bolts to use as my center pins. Got them on and the leaf packs are together. I'm still waiting on some clamps, which should be here Friday. I can already tell the truck is going to sit much lower. The XJ leaves are thinner than the MJs and the pack is so much lighter/flexier. Cleaned up the spring bolts and shot those with primer and paint. On install the paint will mostly come off but I want rust protection where I can. The threads of the bolts I left unpainted. I started the repairs to the airdam. It had a crack on the back of the driver's side and the passenger side was missing the whole bottom corner from rubbing the tire. This airdam came off that truck in California with the bent bumper that went through that estate sale mess. To fix it I am using a bumper repair kit, it's like Bondo but stays flexible. This will get sanded smooth before paint. Passenger side Driver's side. You can see where the chunk was missing. I'm using part of a 97+ XJ bumper cap to patch it. It's not a perfect repair but it filled the corner back out so it looks better. I may need to get another repair kit to do some final touches on it but that will wait until I get it sanded down to inspect. This morning I ran into town and dropped off the wheels and tires to get mounted. Will have those back either tomorrow or Friday. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dzimm Posted April 2, 2020 Author Share Posted April 2, 2020 Little bits of progress at a time. Sanded down the airdam repairs. Looks really good and everything blends together well. Bottom corner isn't perfectly square but it's close. May get another repair kit to square it off a little more. Started the repair on the spring plate. Got the broken shock mount cut off and the plate ground down flat. The hole is drilled out to 1/2", have a 5/8" bit on the way to finish it off. In the last picture you can see the bump out area I ground off. Reason for that is the stud kit has a nut on both sides to sandwich the plate. This inner nut will push the shock out from the bracket. That may make more sense once it's together. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dzimm Posted April 5, 2020 Author Share Posted April 5, 2020 The 5/8" drill bit showed up today. Got the hole drilled out in the spring plate and new stud installed. Welded it as well just to keep it from moving. Ignore the booger welds. Spring clamps came in. Got them installed and the axle hung under the truck! The shackles are very short, should be sitting on all fours and real low tomorrow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete M Posted April 5, 2020 Share Posted April 5, 2020 just be careful about the shackles inverting when coming down onto the tires. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dzimm Posted April 5, 2020 Author Share Posted April 5, 2020 25 minutes ago, Pete M said: just be careful about the shackles inverting when coming down onto the tires. Thanks Pete, definitely will! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dzimm Posted April 6, 2020 Author Share Posted April 6, 2020 The axle is in the truck and it's freakin low! I can't remember now what I measured at, I'll have to check again. Had to notch the nut on my repaired spring plate to fit a socket over the nut. Overall the repair is a success so far. I drilled a hole to mount the brake line connection. Double nutted the bolt so it won't come loose. I have to run to town this week to get some shorter 1/2" bolts to finish installing the sway bar. I found that I could bolt the mounts to the frame by drilling a hole and it lined up perfectly to use the factory hole on the underside to get at the backside with a wrench. Sitting on the ground with new tires and lowered springs. I measured the driveshaft to be 1-1/4" too long. I needed to either have my stock shaft shortened or to get a new one built at 51". I got on Google and found a PST shaft for $170 shipped and it is the correct size with correct u joints included. I just need to move the yoke over and it'll be good!! I will finish the sway bar this week and start on the front end! One other thing that happened.. torquing the front end of leaf springs is awkward and a PITA.. wrench slipped and smashed my thumb between the frame rails and torque wrench. I'll save you all from the gory pictures but it ripped everything apart next to the nail. Looks like I took a fillet knife to my thumb. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete M Posted April 6, 2020 Share Posted April 6, 2020 damn dude. not the time for smashing your digits. truck looks fantastic though have you thought about a traction bar? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dzimm Posted April 6, 2020 Author Share Posted April 6, 2020 54 minutes ago, Pete M said: damn dude. not the time for smashing your digits. truck looks fantastic though have you thought about a traction bar? There is never a good time, especially a thumb. Thanks! No I haven't but definitely something to consider. The leaves are a lot more flexible now, at least up and down, but it's sitting pretty much on the overload leaf so hopefully that will prevent some of the wrap since it's so thick. I'll have to see what it drives like. I'm also running into the issue of running out of space on the axle tubes with the brake lines, ubolts, and sway bar. If I do it if have to look for something to bolt under the spring plate I think. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JMO413 Posted April 6, 2020 Share Posted April 6, 2020 Looks good! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dzimm Posted April 8, 2020 Author Share Posted April 8, 2020 Driveshaft showed up, ordered Sunday and arrived on Tuesday. It's the perfect size except I found out I need a 1310 to 1330 conversion u-joint for the axle. The Libby axle uses a 1330 joint, which I wasn't aware of. I've got one ordered and on the way. Got the sway bar mounted up. The existing frame holes are in the perfect spot to bolt the top mount above it and access the nut. The links lean backwards just slightly but it's plenty acceptable. I put the shocks back on for now. I'll be ordering some new ones soon but these will do for now. I'll be moving onto the front end now. Have to change the brake distribution block, coil springs, tires, and paint the airdam. That leaves put the driveshaft in, bleed the brakes, and fill the rear diff and it'll be on the road again! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
70barracuda Posted April 9, 2020 Share Posted April 9, 2020 what did the new driveshaft run you, with shipping costs. That company has the best price for an aluminum driveshaft but can't find what they are charge for shipping Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dzimm Posted April 9, 2020 Author Share Posted April 9, 2020 1 hour ago, 70barracuda said: what did the new driveshaft run you, with shipping costs. That company has the best price for an aluminum driveshaft but can't find what they are charge for shipping I got mine from pitstopusa. Its steel but was only $170 after tax. That shaft happened to be the correct size and happened to have a free shipping offer going on, I just got lucky. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MiNi Beast Posted April 9, 2020 Share Posted April 9, 2020 So when you getting to the underside of the truck? Axles make truck look rustier. Lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dzimm Posted April 9, 2020 Author Share Posted April 9, 2020 Got the damn coils springs out.. I've done this twice before without issue, this truck fought me the whole way. Ended up cutting the springs to get them out because I wasn't about to take the control arms and sway bar off too. Maybe 2wd springs are taller . Took so long this is all I got done tonight. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MiNi Beast Posted April 9, 2020 Share Posted April 9, 2020 Have you heard of spring compressors? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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